Cheerup Charm!
by Jazzie-mi
Summary: It isn't easy to tell someone how you feel; even more so when you're in love with your best friend while in the arms of another. DISCLAIMER: I no ZERO Spanish, so forgive me


Tucking a strand of short, blonde locks behind her flushed ear and closed her eyes, taking in the relaxing smell of rain and dirt. Emma sat herself down on the damp pieces of bark and begun to paw at the ground with the toe of her boot, digging a shallow hole in the ground. Her best friend, Antonio, took an empty spot next to her and sat down, breathing out a long sigh before smiling a bit.

"Aren't you glad I brought you here? This kind of atmosphere helps you think, hm?"

Emma laughed a bit at this and kept her emerald gaze on the ground.

Her boyfriend recently broke up with her and now she was more than just a little bit depressed. She guessed it was mostly her fault though, he wasn't the one that did them wrong. The blame was solely on her shoulders, this time.

Pursing his lips at the serious expression his friend wore, Antonio slung his arm around Emma's supple shoulders and gave her a friendly squeeze, as if to reassure her that everything was fine and dandy with the world. In a strange way, Antonio reminded her of a fatherly figure rather than a best friend – like he was family.

"Ah, my poor little Emma, that expression doesn't suit your pretty face."

He sighed, shaking his head in a disappointed fashion.

"Come on; let's go swinging for a bit. I'm sure that will clear your mind, _si_?"

The enthusiastic young brunette man eagerly grabbed Emma by her wrist and practically hoisted her up onto her feet with a mighty yank. Blinking her doe-like jade eyes, Emma stumbled closely behind Antonio as he towed her over to a long, old rope swing tied to a large evergreen pine tree. Smiling gingerly, the Spaniard looked up to the canopy of the trees and gave the rope a good, hearty tug – testing its strength.

He made a small hum when he found it satisfactory and bowed down to Emma, offering the rope swing to the lovely young lady. Smiling in the slightest, she rolled her puffy, red eyes and took the rope from Antonio's hands and begun to swing.

"So, care to tell me what's been making my little Emma so upset? It's not boyfriend troubles, is it?"

Antonio grimaced. Somehow, the expression didn't match up to his face, like it wasn't meant to belong on his mouth – the same mouth that has given her so many dazzling, sweet smiles. Emma clicked her tongue and scrunched her nose up, her legs pushing herself away from the ground and in large, full circles over the green underbrush.

"I guess so. My boyfriend and I broke up the other day, so it's not the best of news, I guess."

Suddenly, her circular path was cut short when an opposite force stopped her and a pair of blazing green eyes locked onto hers in an intense stare. Antonio's hands flew to the sides of Emma's face, holding her as if she were a doll.

"_Que_? Oh, Emma…I'm so sorry to hear that, _querida_."

"N-no, Antonio…it's okay! Really!"

"No, it's not okay! Why didn't you tell me earlier? Why did he break-up with you? Do I need to punch his face in for you?"

The rough pads of Antonio's thumbs scraped across Emma's flushed cheeks tenderly, as if he were comforting a child.

Emma swallowed a lump in her throat and dropped her gaze, removing his hands from her face. She didn't so deserve as to receive pity. The reason behind the break-up with her long-time boyfriend was just a bit more to it than something she could just tell someone, even if that someone has been best friends with her ever since they were in elementary school. In a way, it was another thing to feel guilty about.

"I can't…tell you…"

"Emma, did he make you promise not to tell anyone? Because that doesn't matter, you can tell me anything and I promise you won't get hurt."

A kiss was placed to her forehead.

And a fluttering sensation rose within Emma's chest, again.

Still clutching onto the rope swing, the golden haired young woman took in a deep breath for moment to mull things over for a brief moment.

The reason behind why Bella and her boyfriend had ended their relationship was because she was in love with another man at the time – and even after they had gone their separate ways. But, as it turned out, her boyfriend had been sleeping around with some woman [Name] barely even knew. She thought she recognized her to be a bikini barista at this one coffee stand her boyfriend liked to occasionally visit.

She should have been suspicious from the start, but all of that really didn't matter to her now.

When she told Antonio the whole story, the tender-hearted Spaniard said nothing but instead took the girl into his arms and held her as tightly as he could. Hesitantly, Bella relaxed into Antonio's crushing bear hug and her own arms found their way around his muscled waist. He smelled so good, she noticed.

Again, the fluttering began to pick-up tenfold.

"A-actually…I have something else to confess…"

"What is it, _mi querida_?"

He blinks.

Before any words to form inside her brain or on her lips, Emma's mouth leapt forward and caught Antonio's in a short, sudden kiss; surprised, the emerald eyed man forgot about everything he was thinking of previous to this moment, but his fingers found themselves running through Emma's hair – his mouth pressed repeatedly against her own soft, gentle lips. Those eyes that were once wide and full of shock had slid closed, the heavy feeling of euphoric ecstasy pooled inside his stomach as he kissed her. God, he's been waiting so long for this.

Emma and Antonio pulled away from each other at the same time, eyes clouded over with desire and undeniable want. Again and again, he swoops in to her lips to give her kisses over and over again.

"I love you, Toni…I have ever since I can remember…"

Grinning as wide as he has ever grinned before, Antonio kissed Emma once more before whispering;

"_A mí también, amor_."

.

.


End file.
